| (top) Patan Hiti - otherwise known as Munga Hiti, located north of the palace in Patan’s Durbar Square. These “stone faucets” (dhungi dara) were used as baths and the basic water source for the entire surrounding population prior to the installation of running water. These sunken “Hitis” are still used for bathing and wahing of clothes. The stone carved image is of makara, the mythical crocodile, one of the monsters along with chepu, who dominated the Kathmandu valley when it was a lake. Supposedly Karma Vishnu came to the valley and - with a mighty blow of his sword - cut a breach in the mountains at the Gobar Gorge, drained the lake and rid the valley of these monsters. Below is an exact replica of the middle fountain shown in the Patan Hiti above. |
